Union ban on teacher training under fire

A ban by two teacher unions on members taking up online junior cycle reform training in their own time has been criticised by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan.

She decided last week to start implementing final proposals that emerged from months of discussions about a revised assessment system, despite the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and Teachers’ Union of Ireland saying they wanted further negotiation.

Ms O’Sullivan announced that some of the continuous professional development for teachers would be rolled out through a new website, as she believed some of the unions’ 27,000 second-level members wanted to move ahead with the reforms. However, the unions issued a letter to schools on Friday telling members that registering for or engaging with the online CPD would breach a directive in place since last April that bans them from co-operating with any roll-out of junior cycle changes as long as the row continues.

A spokesman for Ms O’Sullivan said it is disappointing that union leaders would try to restrict members’ access to information that can benefit teachers and students.

“It is also disconcerting that directives governing individuals’ access to online information, even in their own personal time, are being issued,” said the spokesman. “It underlines the disproportionate and unnecessary nature of the industrial action that the leadership of both unions appear committed to.”

The unions’ opposition to teachers marking their own students for State-certified exam was dealt with by last month’s proposals from Pauric Travers. But the ASTI and TUI said they could not agree to the plan until all details are fully discussed and agreed.

Ms O’Sullivan’s spokesman said she has accepted the Travers plans and calls on unions to revise their rejection of the proposals

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